


Irrefutable and Untainted Truth

by coruscantguard (nadiavandyne), nadiavandyne



Series: 2020 Fic Challenges [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Character Study, Corruption, Coruscant (Star Wars), Dehumanization, Gen, Implied/Referenced Mind Reading, Manipulation, Manipulative Sheev Palpatine, Obi-Wan and Cody are just mentioned here but like, Police BS, Post-Episode: s04e10 Carnage of Krell, Post-Episode: s04e15 Deception, Unreliable Narrator, they're mentioned a LOT, this is really just 6k words of fox having a shit time ngl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadiavandyne/pseuds/coruscantguard, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadiavandyne/pseuds/nadiavandyne
Summary: On Kamino, they were just clones. As long as they didn't stand apart from the rest, no one was paying attention to them, and no one cared about their actions. Fox had thought that would apply to Coruscant as well.It was Chancellor Palpatine calling him in a week later that proved him wrong.(Or, two conversations between Commander Fox and the Chancellor, three years apart.)
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious
Series: 2020 Fic Challenges [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810486
Comments: 16
Kudos: 87
Collections: Clone Wars Saved Exchange 2020





	Irrefutable and Untainted Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inquisitor_tohru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inquisitor_tohru/gifts).



> Additional warnings for two brief metaphors involving a noose, bribery, and mentions of decommissioning and reconditioning. Also, just... Palpatine in general. Because, well, it's Palpatine. Fuck that guy.

"It's time to move, sir."

"Already?" the Chancellor asks, and it's obvious by the state of his hotel room that he hasn't slept a wink. Flimsi and datapads are scattered across the room, the bed is still made, and Chancellor Palpatine looked like he was deeply engrossed in his reading in the split second before Fox interrupted him. 

Honestly, he’s not sure that the Chancellor _ever_ sleeps. The amount of late-night documents Fox receives from him speaks to the contrary. Fox is relatively sure that natborns do actually need sleep, but it’s not like he’s going to bring it up. It’s not his place to question the Chancellor of the Republic about his possible insomnia. 

Anyway, he’s heard enough complaints from Cody about how General Kenobi is waging a personal war on the concept of taking a break and closing his eyes to know that natborns can get by with very, very little sleep, so maybe it’s just normal for them. 

Fox managed to catch a nap in his armor before the switch off, so he's feeling unusually well rested. It seems almost as if that the further away he gets from the Senate building, the easier he finds it to sleep— which is irritating, to say the least. 

"Yessir," he says, and the Chancellor sighs, but stands up regardless. There’s an impressive amount of displeasure contained in that sigh, and the room seems to almost grow heavier with it, the weight of the Chancellor’s annoyance bearing down on him.

He doesn’t buckle under it. Perhaps, if he was a CT, a cadet, or even a shiny, that would be different, but he is none of those things, and the Chancellor would not be foolish enough to put someone who cannot suffer the heat into command. Even before he was in the Chancellor’s service, Alpha-17’s ARC trooper training had beaten that kind of weakness out of him. 

* * *

(Thire is with Alpha-17 right now, on Kamino, training to be the best of the best. Promoting Thire was a gamble, a bet, a risk, but it’s one that has more than paid off. Thire has a backbone built from beskar and a knack for finding a way out when the situation is karked and all the chips are down. He’s invaluable to the Guard.

And while they’ve never talked about it, he's relatively sure that the Chancellor also agrees that saving Thire more than paid off.

After all, Chancellor Palpatine had been the one to give Fox enough rope to hang himself with, Fox is under no delusions there. He’s good, but not good enough to pull one out from under the Chancellor of the goddamn Republic. Moore handled the paperwork officially, but Moore also flits around Chancellor Palpatine like she’s a ghost and he’s her anchor to the land of the living, so it's safe to assume that anything she's seen, he's also seen. 

He didn't know that at the _time_ , of course. The Chancellor's reach is immense, and it’s well disguised under his mild-mannered persona. Back then, Fox had been new, new to Coruscant, new to being a Commander, new to working under the Chancellor. He'd been bold, and overconfident, and used to success, and something about that had intrigued the Chancellor enough that he'd given him slack when Fox overstepped instead of just tightening the noose. 

On Kamino, they were just clones. As long as they didn't stand apart from the rest, no one was paying attention to them, and no one cared about their actions. Fox had thought that would apply to Coruscant as well. 

It was Chancellor Palpatine calling him in a week later that proved him wrong.

_And Fox remembers getting the notice, remembers seeing the instructions to come to the Chancellor's office on 15:30 the following Centaxday. It's a time and a day that Fox remembers as if it were yesterday._ )

* * *

"Very well," Chancellor Palpatine says, "I assume I'm leaving my things here?"

"Yes, sir," Fox replies. "We have another team that will take care of them."

The Chancellor nods, looks back at the datapad he was reading, and leans over, grabs a stylus and scribbles something on it. Fox pushes down the automatic flare of annoyance that hits, and waits. 

Chancellor Palpatine looks at the datapad for just long enough that Fox feels himself begin to get twitchy, since they _are_ on a schedule here, but then he turns it off and straightens back up again, leaving the datapad on the table. “Lead the way then, Commander.”

“Yes, sir,” Fox says, and he starts towards the door, punching in the passcode so it buzzes open automatically. Near silent footsteps follow him, and Fox reaches a hand up to turn off his bucket’s external speakers, starts transmitting to the comm line.

Everyone is in place— of course, they are, they’re his men, they know how to do their damn jobs— and thankfully, their route looks secure so far. Six other teams should be moving out right now as well, acting as decoys in case any opportunistic, overconfident, or di’kutla bounty hunters get any ideas. No news is good news on that front, which means that so far, everything is going according to plan.

The moment they reach the main hallways, Fox switches on his external speakers again, and Myacah and Holo fall into position behind him. The plan is running smoothly, and outside, he knows that Hawke is sniping, knows that there are a dozen more assorted Guardsmen scattered around to make sure this safehouse change goes smoothly, but—

His hand tightens on his blaster all the same.

* * *

(On Kamino, they were taught that Jedi are omnipotent, omnipresent, to be obeyed always. And on Kamino, they were taught little about the Chancellor beyond the basics they needed to know as soldiers that served the Republic. 

So back then, when Fox was still shiny and still overconfident, he had gotten the Chancellor’s request for a meeting. And knowing what he had done, knowing exactly how many regulations he had broken in his bullheaded attempt to save Thire, his first assumption had been that he was going to be either:

  1. Decommissioned, or
  2. Reconditioned, or
  3. Forced to watch Thire be decommissioned, then decommissioned or reconditioned himself, or
  4. Force to watch Thire be reconditioned, then decommissioned or reconditioned himself.



It was a logical first assumption. He’s a clone, after all, and clones, even clone commanders, do not just get _called in_ for one-on-one discussions with the Chancellor of the kriffing Republic. 

Unless, apparently, the Chancellor of the kriffing Republic is Sheev Palpatine.

It had gone down something like _this—_

_"Commander Fox," Chancellor Sheev Palpatine had said, and there was a smile on his face. If Fox hadn’t been so sure that he was minutes away from meeting his demise, it probably would’ve reassured him._

_"Sir," he had replied, saluting, and the Chancellor waved him off._

_“At ease, soldier,” Chancellor Palpatine had said, and there was a current of what Fox can now identify as wry amusement underlining his tone. “Please, sit down.”_

_The Chancellor gestured at a chair on his left. It was plush, looked almost uncomfortably so. Past Fox had been relatively sure that this wasn’t protocol._

_But he had also been bred to obey all orders without hesitation, and this was the Chancellor of the Republic. So there really was no question of what he'd do next.  
_

_Fox sat down._ )

* * *

They make it to the speeder without any trouble, and they're met there by Troopers Briar, Strobe, and Punch. 

Trooper Strobe had a stint in the Five-oh-First before an injury had him transfer to the Guard, and he shoots with a deadly precision that just _screams_ of Cody's blond CT. Trooper Briar has been Guard the whole time he's known her, batchmates with Rys and Jek if he's remembering correctly, and ace at hand-to-hand. And Cody's influence is easy to see on Trooper Punch— another transfer, and he's settled into the Guard now, but he's 212th at heart, a fact Fox is vividly reminded of every time he spin kicks something.

There's no issue as they take off, and Briar is one of their best pilots, but Fox is still on high alert for any danger, and he can tell that both Strobe and Punch are too. They’ve both seen too many Senators have their speeders intercepted not to be, and there’s an actual hit out on the Chancellor right now. Their speeder is disguised, but that doesn’t mean much when Force-sensitive bounty hunters like Aurra Sing exist.

A shiny new coat of paint can’t fool the Force, apparently. Which is unfortunate. The playing field would be much more even if it could. 

Still, paint can fool most anyone else, which is why Fox isn't in his own armor today. He's instead clad in the uniform Guard trooper look of red-on-white, identical to any other Guard in the city. Fox doesn't have a problem with it, understands that he's doing it because they're trying to stay inconspicuous, and his armor is not that, but he still doesn't feel quite like himself.

It should be comforting not to stand out. His personalized armor puts a very visible target on his back— taking that off should be a relief, and returning to his childhood as just being one of many should feel like coming home.

It doesn’t, though. His heart may pound every time he steps out of line, makes himself different, sheds his childhood training, but he’s gotten used to the feeling, grown to almost enjoy it. Standing right on the edge of fear and brushing it off, giving that silent challenge to the Kaminoans and everyone else who wants him to simply be an easily replaceable part is invigorating.

Being one in the crowd has the comfort of childhood, but it also squeezes just a little too tight around his ribs.

* * *

(It had taken _time_ to outgrow the lessons he learned on Kamino, to settle into the bright lights of the city. Fox still isn't completely settled in, but it's better, now. He doesn't stick out the way he did in those first months, like a bantha in Nar Shadda.

What he learns is that any kind of camouflage on Coruscant has to be as glitzy and bright as the planet itself. He learns that said camouflage consists of an ever evolving series of trends that change as one goes lower and lower. Blending in while in the galaxy’s hub requires knowing the ins and outs of underworld politics, makes one keep their ear to the ground and follow the city’s ever changing trends. To simply be just a face in the crowd on Coruscant is difficult, and what can grant someone protection on one level might just be a death sentence on another. 

On the upper levels, the 5000s, where the both Senate building and the Republic Command for Military Operations is located, the easiest way for a clone to blend in is to be in the Guard’s uniform. 

But he is _the_ Commander of the Coruscant Guard, and he's a leader, so he can't let himself blend in. When his brothers turn to someone for advice, they turn to him, and they cannot do that if they can't find him.

Past Fox, new to Coruscant Fox, had quickly realized that his new position meant that he needed to visibly differentiate himself, set himself apart from his brothers, become someone memorable. Being forgettable was protection on Kamino, but he wasn't on Kamino anymore, so he couldn’t just be interchangeable, couldn't simply be just a cog in a machine.

And that’s what Fox had been _created_ to be, so it had felt like he was being torn in two by what he needed to do and what he was supposed to do, and—

He felt like that a lot, during those first few months. Kark, he still felt like it sometimes these days.

_"You'll get used to it," the Chancellor had told him during that first meeting, when he admitted his discomfort. Fox hadn't believed him back then, had been all tension and coiled muscle as he sat on that chair, having barely accepted that okay, he's not about to be killed or reconditioned, probably. "It'll feel weird for a while, but you'll settle in."_

_"Yes, sir," he had replied, not knowing what else to say, and the Chancellor had seen that, taken mercy, steered the conversation in another direction._

The Chancellor had been right. He had settled in. And regarding that mental tug-of-war—

Well. Past Fox didn’t like it, but he’d managed to set aside what he was supposed to do, and do what was needed instead. It wasn’t that hard of a choice, in the end.)

* * *

They switch speeders on Level 2384, switching pilots and disguises as well, and all is quiet until about halfway through that ride, when the Chancellor speaks up.

"Do you feel that you understand them?" Chancellor Palpatine asks suddenly.

"Sir?"

"Your brothers," Chancellor Palpatine clarifies, and he's not looking at Fox, instead gazing out of the speeder, but Fox feels like someone is watching him anyway, and he _knows_ it’s not his Guards. "Do you feel that you understand who they are? Do you see them?"

The curiosity sounds innocent enough, but Fox wasn't decanted _yesterday_. "Respectfully, sir, I'd rather not speak about it,” he says, and he pauses. Then— “my feelings about my vode are a personal matter."

And the Chancellor accepts that with a low hum, a quiet sound that the wind quickly steals from him, so Fox focuses on keeping watch outside. They’re making good time, which is a pleasant surprise, because if there’s one thing Fox has observed since arriving on Coruscant, it’s that plans tend to go pear-shaped around the Chancellor.

"Commander, do forgive me for asking, but would you consider yourself a person?"

Fox is too well trained to freeze like a loth wolf in headlights, so he doesn't, even as his body goes cold, and the seconds stretch out. There is no right answer to this question, but he cannot afford to be wrong. "I know Commander Cody considers us so, sir, and he’s probably the smartest of all of us." 

“Really.”

“Yes, sir,” he says, and there’s silence from the Chancellor in response. Mentally, he starts to count, _one, two, three_... and once he reaches nine, he resigns himself to speaking again. Fox knows who has the power to wait out the other in this situation, and it’s not him. "But, I do suppose that how automatic that answer was means that yes, I do think I understand my brothers relatively clearly."

"Or, at least you understand Commander Cody."

"Or at least I understand Commander Cody," he agrees, voice wry. Fox knows that General Kenobi won't let anything happen to his vod, trusts that the General will be able to keep Cody safe, and he's aware that Cody's fame awards him a great deal more protection than any of his other batchmates have, but he still feels guilty for dragging him into this, for putting words in his mouth. 

Fox pushes it away. Guilt is not a productive emotion if there is no drive to accompany it. 

"And do you think they understand you?" Chancellor Palpatine asks, and out of the corner of his eye Fox can see the Chancellor turn to face him. 

There is an order there. Implicit. Fox does not dare lie.

"I believe that they think they do."

  
"But do _you_ think that they do?"

And kriff, how does he even begin to reply to _that_? The Chancellor has caught him in a trap where any redirect he could give will just lead back to the question at hand, and while other Guards in the speeder are doing a fantastic job of pretending that they're not hanging onto every single word being said, Fox is still acutely, almost _violently,_ aware of their presence. He'd very much like for this conversation to be over, and he's annoyed that the Chancellor decided to bring this up in front of his subordinates, but it's not like he can _do_ anything about it, which just serves to annoy him further. The Chancellor doesn't seem like he's about to give up his line of questioning, and Fox doesn't want to give in, but— what choice does he have?

What choice has he _ever_ had?

  
"I-No,” Fox makes himself say, hating the feeling of it in his mouth, the truth of it low in his gut. _The Chancellor’s just curious_ , he tells himself, wills himself to accept it, to let it be true. It has to be true. There is no other option. _Don't blame the Chancellor for accidentally stumbling into a minefield. He's not a clone. He wouldn't_ ** _know_** _. He wouldn't_ ** _understand_** _._

Fox is a soldier, anyway. He should know how to navigate minefields, any mistake there rests solely on him. “Not really, sir."

* * *

(Camouflage on 1313 is the closest thing to what they were trained for— darkness, and shadows, and deep greens and blues. Gree's new armor would probably fit in the best down there, but even that would be off, because _armor_ just doesn't fit in that far down. Hell, even the Underworld Police doesn't fit in down there, despite the fact that they patrol in suits of leather and metal meant to conceal any identifying features, which is _supposed_ to make it so that they're a monolith that fits in everywhere. All it really does is make them look di’kutla, though.

Fox is pretty sure that the Chancellor would agree with that assessment, even though he’d never actually ask. He’s discussed the other law enforcement agencies on Coruscant with the Chancellor before, but that was work related, and his personal opinions are irrelevant when it comes to work.

Those discussions started back when Fox was ten, back when he was a bundle of nerves speaking to the Chancellor for the first time.

_And despite the odd start to the meeting, and despite the uncomfortable level of familiarity the Chancellor used when speaking to him, the conversation did turn to work quickly enough, thank the Force._

_“We can’t spare the men,” Fox had admitted, after recounting the request the Underworld Police had made. Because the truth was that they_ **_couldn’t_ ** _. Coruscant was barely under control as it was— there hadn’t been a single Guardsmen who could have moved from their position without civilians suffering for it._

_"I agree," the Chancellor had replied, and Fox had mentally breathed a sigh of relief. If the Chancellor had disagreed— well, Fox wasn't sure exactly what he would do, but… the Chancellor did agree, so it was a moot point._

_And that kind of work conversation wasn’t bad— in fact, back then it had been immensely reassuring to learn that the Chancellor of the Republic supported his ideas regarding keeping Coruscant safe and secure. Still, Fox had been anxious the entire time, and it wasn’t just because he was talking to the kriffing Chancellor._

_It was also because they'd been dancing around the subject of Thire for the whole meeting, and Fox was simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. He had been relatively sure that the Chancellor knew, and was planning on addressing it, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak up. On the off-chance that he didn't know, Fox didn’t want to accidentally end up digging his own grave._ )

* * *

The safehouse is located on Level 1313, which means that it’s less a safehouse, and more a ‘too dangerous for them to want to come down here’ house. 

It’s close, just half a block away, and they’re making good time so far, but this is the most risky part of the journey. A few well-placed bribes means that the Guard will be tolerated down here tonight, but they sure as hell don’t blend in, and they’re going to have to go fast if they want to pull this off.

“Yes, sir,” he says, and they’re too out in the open, too visible, so it’s time to get a move on. “If you’d follow me, sir?”

"By all means, Commander, lead the way," Chancellor Palpatine says, and right as Fox turns around, he speaks up again. "Will any of your men be accompanying us?"

"Not on the ground as an escort," Fox explains, "but they are covering the route, just covertly."

The Chancellor hums in response. Fox swallows down a sigh. "Would you like me to change that, sir?"

"Hm? Oh, no, no, of course not. They're your men, I trust that you know what you're doing. You are the head of the Guard, after all," the Chancellor says, and Fox nods. He's not about to contradict that, to admit that right now, he doesn't feel like the head of the Guard, that in this armor he feels more like a rookie line trooper who's been put on the spot. He's certainly not about to admit that right now he feels like a fake man in a fake can living up to the Kaminoan's expectations, and that he kind of wants to scream and shout and try to claw his way out.

_That's_ unprofessional and unacceptable to even think, let alone say. So, he doesn't.

They move in silence for the next few minutes, Fox warily keeping an eye out for danger, the Chancellor close to his side. He'll be surprised if this isn't the Chancellor's first visit to Level 1313. After all, he's an aristocrat, and a politician, and neither of those things exist in any good context this many levels down. Also, he's dogging Fox's footsteps like a scared tooka, which is an amusing mental image he tucks away to share with Thorn later.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to speak with you about, Commander. Your mention of Commander Cody reminded me of it,” Chancellor Palpatine says suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. “Could I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course, sir," Fox replies, right as they duck around the next corner. They should be only a few minutes away from the safehouse, thank the Force.

"Could you keep your ears open for anything... worrying you might hear concerning Master Kenobi?”

**_What_ ** _._

Fox's stomach drops, and he is much too well trained to stumble, but he wants to. He _really_ wants to. “General Kenobi?” he asks, barely daring to breathe. _Cody_.

“Yes,” the Chancellor confirms. “I apologize in advance, as it is a rather long story, but Anakin has told me some things, and…" 

Chancellor Palpatine sighs, and his face is grim when Fox glances back at him. "I can’t help but be concerned, even though it truly isn't any of my business.”

The Chancellor doesn’t elaborate further, and that kicks Fox's imagination into overdrive. He forcefully wrestles it down. _Not_ useful _or_ productive, brain. Shut the kriff up, and just figure out what the Chancellor wants.

“What would you like me to do, sir?” He carefully asks, and the Chancellor sighs again.

  
“Commander, please, do keep in mind that you can say no if this is something that you’re uncomfortable with,” the Chancellor says, and internally, Fox scoffs, because this is the _Chancellor of the Republic_ that he’s speaking with. He really, _really_ , cannot do that. The Chancellor continues, unaware of his inner turmoil. "What do you know about Jedi lineages?"

"Very little, sir,” Fox says, and the Chancellor nods like he expected that.

"I do presume you’re familiar with the Master-Padawan bond, however?” Chancellor Palpatine asks, and Fox hears himself reply in the affirmative, as he’s half-listening and half-paying attention to their route. “Well, a Jedi lineage consists of all the Master-Padawan bonds that stem from a certain Master. Members of the same lineage oftentimes are close— Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker, and Padawan Tano are all part of the same lineage.”

Guess that explains why the 212th and the 501st work together so often.

"However, Anakin and Padawan Tano are not the only members of Master Kenobi’s lineage. Count Dooku is also a member of Master Kenobi's lineage— he’s his Grandmaster, if we’re using Jedi terminology.” 

Well, osik. “That must make for interesting lineage reunions, sir,” Fox replies, for lack of a better response. The Chancellor chuckles.

"I’d imagine so,” Chancellor Palpatine says, humor in his voice. “Apparently, the Count was the one to train Kenobi's Master, who in turn trained Kenobi. And therein lies the problem.” 

The Chancellor pauses as they cross the street, then speaks again. “It seems that the Count has been trying to recruit Kenobi. At least, that’s what Anakin’s reports indicate. And he hasn’t yet succeeded, of course, but...

"During Master Kenobi’s recent undercover mission, he was in close contact with the Count. And his report states that by the end of the mission, Count Dooku had somehow figured out that the Rako Hardeen he hired was actually Master Kenobi.

"What worries me is that I have reason to believe that he may have known all along. And if the Count knew that it was Master Kenobi all along… I worry that the Count may have made him an offer, one that Master Kenobi might be considering," Chancellor Palpatine says, and for a moment, Fox finds himself stuck speechless.

"An offer," Fox finally says, and kriff, he’s not going to flat-out _ask_ the Chancellor if he’s accusing Master Kenobi of treason, but that’s sure as hell what it sounds like. “What kind of offer, sir?”

“Now _that’s_ the million credit question, Commander,” Chancellor Palpatine says. “I don’t believe the Count would be that blatant about whatever his endgame is, I suspect that he’s starting small, working his way up to his final goal.”

Oh, so just a little treason then. Okay. That’s _much_ better, really.

“I do have my own guesses surrounding what the Count’s offer may have been about... personally, I’m leaning towards it being something concerning the Duchess. Or perhaps Anakin. Maybe Padawan Tano?” The Chancellor pauses, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees the Chancellor shake his head. “It doesn’t matter. The problem is that Master Kenobi did not report any offers, and he barely touched on his interactions with the Count at all. Interactions he must have had— somehow he gave himself away before reaching Naboo, and I doubt any of the other bounty hunters were the ones to put it together.”

Fox opens his mouth to reply, but the Chancellor cuts him off. "Master Kenobi is a good man, and a fine General, but if something happened, if an offer was made and Master Kenobi is even _considering_ it, it’s vital that we know.”

And he doesn’t even know where to start with that, is still trying to make it make sense in his mind. Finally, he decides to just backtrack, manages to ask: "The Duchess, sir?"

"Ah, yes, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore. According to Anakin, they had a tryst when they were teens. And Ani has never been a good liar, so I’m inclined to believe him."

Fox blinks. Right. Okay then. When he replies, he carefully, deliberately _doesn't_ think of Senator Amidala. "I trust your judgement, sir."

"Thank you, Commander,” Chancellor Palpatine says. “I hate to suspect him because of one measly report… but parts of it just don't add up. I truly do wish I could just let this go, believe me, but this is a war, and we cannot afford anymore betrayals." 

And Fox doesn’t have the clearance to read that report, he never has, but he did personally review the footage from the jailbreak. He did it both before and after General Kenobi was revealed to be impersonating Rako Hardeen, has watched it again and again, searching for security flaws, for holes in their defense, for everything they missed that let the jailbreak happen. He _knows_ exactly how it goes.

He knows how General Kenobi, disguised as Rako Hardeen, walks in. Knows how he gets his food, sits down at a table. Knows how he interacts with the other inmates, knows what happens when a fellow inmate gets a little too close for Kenobi's liking. 

"And while Master Kenobi values Commander Cody, I have no doubt about that, but… I’d hate for him to get caught in the crossfire.”

_He's not the Duchess, and he's not a Jedi, and Cody would follow him into the depths of Wild Space without hesitation, but that loyalty is not returned,_ Fox's mind translates as the Chancellor trails off. And that’s not a _new_ revelation— they've always been expected to follow the Jedi while the Jedi have never been expected to follow them— but Cody had made it sound otherwise when he described General Kenobi, and it's unpleasant to be reminded that Cody… might be wrong there. 

The Chancellor’s next words hit him like a punch in the gut.

"I wouldn’t be looking so far into this, except… well, I trust that you heard of what happened a few months ago with Jedi Master Pong Krell on Umbara?"

Fox blinks, and all he can hear is the roaring in his ears, all he can see is how utterly _exhausted_ Rex and Cody had looked when they arrived on Coruscant. Krell. _Krell_ . That _demagolka—_

"Yessir," Fox confirms. 

He'd thought it was a sick joke, at first. Nearly tore into the shinies that brought him the reports for how _completely unacceptable_ that kind of sick prank was, for how that kind of slander against the Republic could be seen as treasonous, but then his holocomm had beeped with an incoming message regarding the transfer of a prisoner from Umbara to Kamino. 

Yeah. He's heard about what happened a few days ago with Jedi Master Pong Krell on Umbara. 

"I actually knew Master Krell, myself," the Chancellor says, right as they turn around another corner. "I worked with him a few times before the war. We weren't ever friends, but I did know him."

Anything Fox has to say in response to that will probably get _him_ the privilege of going to Kamino as well, so he stays silent. Thankfully, the Chancellor doesn't seem to be expecting a reply.

"When the war started, Master Krell adapted to being a General remarkably quickly. His success rates were high. And then he fell to the Dark Side, and your brothers paid for it with their lives."

Fox knows this. Read it all in the report. He doesn't need it spelled out for him, doesn't need to be vividly reminded of every little detail, but he's also not going to tell the Chancellor that.

"The reason I worry about Master Kenobi is that…he is a _very good General_ . One of the best, with similar success rates to Master Krell," Chancellor Palpatine says, stressing the words, tone insistent, and the worst part is that Fox instantly _gets_ what he's insinuating. He wants to deny it, to pull up some contradictory fact, and say _no, you're wrong_ , but nothing is coming to mind. "And even if he cares for your brothers as a Jedi should, if the Count made him an offer he found too tempting…"

"We're commissioned products, sir," Fox fills in, the words tasting ashy on his tongue, and the Chancellor nods, face grim. "It would take a long time for anyone to notice that something was amiss if General Kenobi decided to hide his change in alliance. If any kind of incident happens, it’ll most likely remain a hushed whisper in the GAR rumor mill unless there are casualties that aren’t clones."

“Exactly, Commander,” Chancellor Palpatine says, and his voice is part mournful, part… something else. " _Exactly_."

* * *

(And the question is—

_How much data did Krell compromise to the Seppies? How many brothers could have been saved if the Chancellor learned about Krell's treatment of his troops months earlier? How did the Jedi not see this?_

Well, he knows the answer to the last question, at least, but it’s not an answer he likes, not one he’s comfortable with.

The Jedi— the Jedi are simply spread thin, _too_ thin, Fox has seen the reports and done the math and there are only a few thousand of them in the _galaxy_ , less that can actually fight. There simply aren’t enough of them to do everything they need to do. 

And Fox looked into the statistics once, so he knows that the men serving under Jedi have the best chances of making it out alive. There's a reason that the Jedi command this war, instead of Adjutant-General Tarkin, instead of Director Isard, instead of every single natborn like them, but at the rate the Jedi are dying— well. There's a good chance the Jedi won't stay in command for much longer. 

He wants to change that. He doesn't want to watch his brothers mourn. He doesn't want to watch the natborns get more of his brothers killed in this war. He knows that all those thoughts are borderline treasonous. He knows he cannot do any of those things.)

* * *

"Truly," Chancellor Palpatine continues, and both Fox's mind and gut feel all twisted up in knots. He's off-balance, he can admit that, has been since he received the orders not to wear his own armor. And his mind is at war with itself, disbelief at the accusations— it's _General Kenobi_ that they're talking about— clashing with both his duty as a servant of the Chancellor's and his desire to keep his brothers safe.

"I’d hate for Commander Cody, or for any members of the 212th, to get hurt if something happened," the Chancellor says, and the thing is—

The thing is—

The Chancellor _sounds_ sincere. Sounds _more_ than sincere. There's a genuine worry there, a genuine concern, and Fox kind of wants to claw and scream and lash out at him, at this, at life, until it all comes tumbling down, because kriff. _Kriff_. Can he not get a kriffing break for once?

But instead of doing that, he makes himself nod, and leads the Chancellor down the next hallway.

Fox is getting used to his judgement regarding other beings just being wrong, and it burns more than it should. He can trust his vode, he knows that much, but…

But he also has to trust the Chancellor. He cannot afford not to. He knows how far the Chancellor’s reach extends, knows the power he commands. If he says that there's something up, there's a good chance that he's right.

The fact that he was made for the Jedi means nothing, because the Jedi serve the Chancellor. Everything seems to come back to the Chancellor, in the end. That is a truth, and he cannot afford to deal in fantasy. 

"Yes, sir,” Fox manages to say, and his voice is steady, clear. He's impressed with himself. “I’ll open up an investigation—

"No, no, I don't want to make this an official matter yet. Most likely, I'm simply being a paranoid old man, looking for dangers that aren't there but… on the off chance I'm not, I'd just like someone to keep an eye on it, but on the down low."

“Of course, sir,” he quickly amends. "I'll just keep an eye out for anything untoward, then."

"Thank you, Commander. Truly," Chancellor Palpatine says, relief in his voice, and Fox takes a moment to push away any lingering nausea at his decision, focuses on committing this to memory, because kriff, how often do people actually _thank_ him? Usually the most he can hope for is just them not cursing him out. And while natborns cursing him out has greatly improved his vocabulary, he still prefers to avoid it when possible.

""I serve the Republic, and Cody is my brother," Fox replies, and this is his duty, this is his _family_ , "I'd like to protect both of those things if I can."

"An admirable goal," the Chancellor says, and suddenly, the footsteps behind him stop. Fox whirls around, blaster at the ready, instantly on the lookout for danger—

"Would mind not mentioning this to anyone?" Chancellor Palpatine asks, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he just gave Fox a heart attack. “I’d hate to unduly worry anyone, if it turns out that I'm just being a silly, paranoid old man.”

And there's only one acceptable answer to that request, only one thing he can say while Chancellor Palpatine stares at him through his borrowed armor, and _kriff, he misses having a visor, misses that extra layer of protection_. There's only one acceptable answer as his worry for Cody rages through his veins. There's only one thing he can say, because they're on an open street on Level 1313, they have to move _now_ , they can't afford to stand and chat. And there's only one acceptable answer, only one thing to say, because while the Jedi might not be omniscient, functionally, the Chancellor absolutely is.

* * *

(And even if he wasn’t, it’s _Cody_. They may be at each other's throats more often than not, but he’s not about to take any chances with his vod, and—

There's a ghost of a memory here, tugging at his mind, one that's wispy, faint, just out of reach. 

“ _Let’s keep this between us, Commander,” Chancellor Palpatine had said, the perfect picture of professionalism as they both stood up when the meeting ended. "The walls have ears on Coruscant, and it's best not to take any chances, to make their job any easier for them. I’d hate for anyone to get the wrong idea, and dig up something they shouldn’t."_

_“Yes, sir,” past Fox replied, even as his mind chanted Thire, Thire, Thire at him, catching the hidden meaning immediately, even as his eyebrows scrunched together, a move hidden by his helmet. The answer he had parroted was an automatic one, an ignorant, unthinking one. Past Fox had known how to take orders, and how to say yes, so that’s what he had done._

It's three years later now, and he’s grown, settled into himself and settled into his skin. They are outside. There are no walls around them. But—)

* * *

Behind the borrowed bucket, Fox’s face is perfectly blank. When he speaks, his tone is perfectly bland. He is a picture of perfect professionalism. 

"Of course not, sir," he says, putting his blaster back in it's holster, and the Chancellor smiles, lets Fox escort him the rest of the way to his safehouse. 

It's not until long after the Chancellor has left that Fox can bring himself to even attempt to breathe easy again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> \- The title is from the _All For The Game_ series! It's inspired by the quote: "Truth is irrefutable and untainted by bias." Which is uhhhh... not this fic lol, but I liked the irony of it. 
> 
> \- Fox ABSOLUTELY has that last conversation with Palpatine running through his mind when Ahsoka breaks out of jail and gets framed for killing those clone troopers. AB-SO-KRIFFING-LUTELY. Sins of the father, and all that. Palpatine really is the worst. 
> 
> \- Palpatine likes to watch usually competent, put-together people falter, and he's not above subtly manipulating circumstances to throw someone off their game. Unfortunately for Fox, he was the unlucky someone this time around. 
> 
> \- Anakin, please stop telling Palpatine secrets about your master. P l e a s e. You're making his job so much easier for him.
> 
> \- I think Fox's first few months on Coruscant must have been _rough._ It was nothing like what they were trained for, and Fox was in charge, so all of his brothers were looking at him for answers that he didn't have. Fox had to learn, and he had to adapt, and he had to do it _damn fast_ if he wanted to even have a chance at surviving. And while he did it, and he did it well, the culture shock of it all must have really fucked with him. 
> 
> \- The trooper named Punch that shows up here IS the clone trooper named Punch from Slick's squad! Slick's squad deserved better, Filoni.
> 
> \- Come talk to me on Tumblr [@coruscantguard!](https://coruscantguard.tumblr.com/)


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